Well, we did it. Team Unhinged complete Tough Mudder, every obstacle. It took us 5.5 hours, mainly because my husband and the other male on the team, Ryan, stopped and helped people over obstacles. Shelly and I tried to help others when could… but it’s not like we could do a whole lot. The course was about 12 miles with around 20 obstacles. For pictures from the event, check out the Tough Mudder Facebook page. Images of the obstacles are under the Dallas photo album. I don’t have any pictures yet, except our before and after pictures.

This was more of a test of mental grit rather than a test of athleticism, in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend a couch potato doing this course or anything, but it doesn’t really take a specific skill set to complete it. If you check out their website, they recommend that the base fitness requirements are to be able to run 5 miles, do 6 pull-ups and 25 push-ups. I think that is pretty accurate. But if you have any claustrophobia issues or germ phobias, this is not the event for you.

There is no shortage of mud on this run, and the course is designed to mentally mess with you. For example, the first obstacle was swimming under a series of floating barrels. Then we had to scale two 12ft walls. Immediately, the course throws two opposite mental triggers at you, height and low-visibility. The water we swam in was cold and murky, no way could we see, and the walls were more intimidating to drop off of, as opposed to climbing up. Not to mention that we were covering a mile between the obstacles.

 At the mile and a half point, a guy slipped and fell, dislocating his shoulder. Talk about an encouraging sign. At the 3 mile mark, there was a sign that said “If this warrior dash, you’d be done by now! But this is Tough Mudder.” The terrain between obstacles was no joke. We thought we were at obstacles… and it ended up just being the course. We had to climb up steep creek banks, run up and down hills, cross through water and of course mud. Lots and lots of mud. No short supply of mud for us.

The next obstacle that I felt was really note-worthy was the Arctic Enema. It was a dunk-tank with a piece of plywood cutting it in half. There was an opening at the bottom that you’re supposed to swim under. This would be all fine and good, except it was full of ice water. I’m talking 35 degrees. I could feel my body slowing down and constricting as I entered the water. It was the most bazaar feeling. It was like my body was shrinking the deeper I got. After I went under, I came up to breathe, and I couldn’t. I tried to pull myself up, but I had nothing in me. So my team had to pull me out. I don’t know how anyone survives falling in a frozen lake. It was 80 degrees when we ran the course, and I was freezing for the next three minutes. It was brutal, and scary. I couldn’t control my body. It freaked me out, but I kept going.

I don’t think I would have been able to finish this race without the help of my fellow mudders. The whole idea of the course is to build camaraderie, and after being that cold, and feeling that helpless, it was so reassuring that I was with people who wouldn’t leave me behind.

But it wasn’t just my team, it was everyone there. I didn’t hear one negative comment from anyone I was running with. We all laughed as we splashed into mud and water, offered a hand when we slipped and fell (which I did several times), and offered a boost when we needed it. I didn’t feel like I was running with a bunch of strangers, but a bunch of team mates. I wasn’t just on team Unhinged, I was on team Tough Mudder, and we were all going to get through this together.

I would say the only help I did offer to my other mudders was comic relief. I mean, I helped some girls down on the 15ft walls at about the halfway point, but that was nothing compared to what Ryan and my husband did. Mainly, I made fun of myself getting in awkward positions and taking every one-liner opportunity that I could. My favorite moment was when we were clawing out of a pond, the guy behind us said, ‘why is this water so warm?’ I immediately responded, ‘oh, that was me. My bad.’ And the look I got from the guy sitting in the shallow murky water was priceless. I laughed and said just kidding, but I don’t think he really believed me. (For the record, I didn’t pee in the pond).

I also felt it was important to booty-dance in as many inappropriate situations as I could, mainly while we were waiting in line for an obstacle, or recovering from something. This doesn’t even faze my husband at this point in our relationship. It’s just something I do. But I had only met the other girl on my team the day before and I had only met Ryan two other times. My husband and Ryan work together, so my team didn’t really know me. Luckily, my mad-skills impressed Shelly and she’s looking forward to taking a cruise with us next month.

Oh! Did I mention that we decided to all go on a cruise together, even though Shelly and I had never met, and then we decided to do Tough Mudder together before hand. I’m just glad we all get along so well! It was such a blessing to get to do this with them. I loved my team, and it’s amazing how easily we all just gelled. Everyone was supportive and understanding, especially when we had an issue with one of the obstacles.

For example, I had a panic attack on the second to last obstacle. All you had to do, was climb up a floating platform, and jump 15ft into water. I have done the high-dive and I had been swimming all day. But the idea of jumping into that water, just overwhelmed me. I think it’s because the water obstacles on the course were all such different temperatures, and the temperatures affected me. Nevertheless the reason, I was hyperventilating and crying for about 5-10 minutes on top of the platform with my husband. Thank God we were one of the last heats, so no one was behind me. My husband calmed me down, and I just dropped in. I came up, and sucked in water. Next to me was Ryan, and splashing in on my other side was my husband. I was coughing, but I swam to shore after I regrouped a little bit. What would I do without my team?

The final obstacle was Electroshock Therapy. I just had a panic attack, and then I have to run through about 15ft of tazer wires that are hanging over mud. Some of the wires have up to 10.000 volts surging through them. I came this far, so I didn’t was to bow-out on the last obstacle. Shelly came up with the idea to belly-crawl under the wires. What would I do without my team? A few obstacles ago, we had done the same thing. It was called the Electric Eel, and you had to crawl under hanging tazer wires in muddy trenches. I heard the guy next to me get shocked about 6 times and it didn’t sound fun. Not to mention my husband got zapped on a butt cheek. I realized that these wires don’t tickle, so Shelly and I crawled “Seal-Style,” as a spectator said.

We finished the race, Shelly and I were covered in mud up to our nose, and Ryan had just been shocked five times. My husband was just tired. When we crossed the finish line, there was a girl there ordaining heads with an orange headband that said ‘Tough Mudder.’ This is an item that cannot be purchased from the TM organization, but must be earned. I felt like I won a gold medal.

I would do Tough Mudder again. I have a sense of pride and accomplishment. I think it’s the perfect homage to veterans that are benefiting from the Wounded Warrior Project. All proceeds of this even go to veterans who disabled during service. It’s an amazing way to appreciate the sacrifice and training that our VOLUNTEER military does. We don’t draft (for the moment). There are men and women who train and put themselves in harm’s way to protect our rights, and I would gladly get muddy to show my appreciation for their service.

If you would like to donate or learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, click here and if you want to be a Tough Mudder, click here.

BEFORE

AFTER

‘Tis the week of Tough Mudder, and all through my house

Were piles of stuff I needed to pack for me and my spouse.

Our compression clothes were folded with care,

In hopes that we would complete the course with dignity to spare.

 

Okay, corny poem, yes. But, the anticipation is very real. I have been working toward this week for the past three months, and now it’s time to see if I trained well enough. I have a few dilemmas that I’m not 100% sure how I’m going to deal with them, but I have a game-plan…I think.

GEAR: There was so much to consider when deciding what to wear for TM. Cotton is not a friend for this. See, there are tons of water-related obstacles that are woven in with dry obstacles. Cotton will hold on to mud and water like white on rice. So, moisture wicking clothing is the way to go.

All the blogs and forums that I have read pertaining to TM have suggested compression, which is exactly what I ordered! I bought these cool Under Amour compression pants that are designed to promote blood-flow and engage core muscles. They have cool textures, and a neat design, but there is a slight problem. The ‘X’ pattern on the pants crosses over on my pelvis. Which would be fine, but all of them seem to meet at a point right above my bits, as if to say, “HERE IS WHERE I KEEP MY LADY-PARTS! LOOK AT THEM RIGHT HERE, AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARROW!”

I figured, oh, my team shirt will cover this, no worries. Nope. My husband informed me that the shirt I got is a little short, so I am going to have to go with a back-up pair of compression Nike running pants. I’m not excited about these because they have a zipper that goes up the back of my calves, and I’m afraid they’re going rub my skin. 

Why pants? Why not just shorts? Because I have to crawl in hay, twice, and run through a creek, that I’m not 100% sure is in the water. I decided to go with long pants, and shirt to minimize cuts and contact with things that I’m allergic to, i.e. hay, grass, and pollen. Unfortunately, the compression shirt I am wearing is Nike as well, and is V-necked. Why is this a problem? Because I have a freckle right where that V hits, and I have worked out a few times in this shirt, and it rubs the crap out of that freckle. So much so, that I have actually had it break skin and bleed. But since I gave up buying new clothes for Lent, I will not be buying another compression shirt. I will have to put a Band-Aid over my freckle and hope for the best.

I have finally broken in my Vibrams, so I will be wearing those through-out. I need gloves, but I’m not sure which ones to get. I have read (http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/endurance-training/The-Top-10-Tough-Mudder-Tips.html) Mad Grip Gloves are the way to go. But nowhere around here really sells them. So, I think I’m just going to get a knock-off at Academy… maybe?? There will be ropes and climbing, and the last this I want is a blister on my hand.

SUPPLIES My husband and I have decided to carry a Camel-Pack. No, not cigarettes, but a back-pack with a water pouch in it. The pouch is connected to a hose, so we can drink from the pack throughout the race. There will be water stations, but they will be few-and-far-between. My husband is going to carry the camel pack, which will be laced with Xtend. Xtend has nothing to do with enhancing male genitals. Xtend is a drink power with amino acids and vitamins that help fights muscle fatigue. We will be losing so many nutrients throughout, we figured why not? Plus we will be carrying Sports Beans, which are jelly-beans with sodium and electrolytes in them. Again, we will be exerting so much energy, we will need to fuel along the way. There is this gel stuff called GU, it has the same stuff, but it tastes like crap. We are kind of jelly-bean fanatics anyway, so we are going with the beans.

We are also bringing a small cooler with us to the event, which will have 2 protein shakes for post-course refueling, water, Band-Aids, face wipes, and some snacks. I also bought these eye-pack things. They’re a sheet of individual ice cubes, but they don’t touch. This way when it freezes, it’s not one giant block of ice, the sheet still bends. So, if we experience any swelling, post-race, then we will have 2 ice packs waiting in the wings!

I feel like I have prepped as much as I can, but I still have butterflies about this. The whole attitude of Tough Mudder is one of camaraderie and fun, but I still have a fear of being a weakling. I guess I am more worried about holding our team back than anything. I’m afraid I’m going to be the one everyone is waiting on to finish an obstacle, and I don’t want to ALWAYS be that person. Sure, I’m going to fall, flail, and look stupid, but I don’t want to be the weak-link I guess.

I’m trying to get over my fear, and just enjoy the experience. But, I don’t know how I’m going to get proof of doing this thing! We can’t really carry a camera with us, so how are we going to get pictures of us doing it? I want some action shots, and I have no clue how I’m going to get them. I will be pondering this on the days to come. I’ll let you know of any last-minute shenanigans that arise, and please cross your fingers that I don’t break anything…please?

As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.

It's bouncey!! FYI


Let me know what you think!! Email me at emily@frockinpublic.com

This week began the 40-day observation of Lent, 44 depending on how you practice. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and I decided to fast again this year. Usually, Christians will give up some kind of food, like chocolate or traditionally meat, or some habit, like smoking or drunkenness. It has been long encouraged to make a physical sacrifice along with the personal habit sort of sacrifices, but this year I am giving up something VERY difficult for me. I am giving up buying clothes until Easter Sunday.

At first, this sounds like something very silly, but think about what that really means. Let’s say that I spill something on my shirt, I can’t just buy a new one while I am at work, even though I work in an adorable boutique. I am also surrounded by clothes and get to see new arrivals before they’re even priced. Heck, sometimes I get to weigh-in on new orders for the store! I dress people every day. I pick out cute outfits every day. I work with other girls that dress trendy, and I have to be up to snuff, or no one will buy from me.

All of my temptations probably sound frivolous, because they are. It’s silly to constantly look for new clothes. I have plenty in my closet. I just have to be more creative and come up with new ways to wear what I’ve got. There are people in this city that can barely afford to eat. There are families who can’t afford a new car. There are people who have to walk or take public transportation to work. Why do I feel the need to constantly find new trendy things, when it’s not really important? God didn’t put me on this planet to buy clothes. He definitely didn’t die for me to continue gorging myself on new tops.  

I need some perspective. I need to show myself that I am blessed, and I need to be thankful for what I have, rather than wanting more material things. It’s time to appreciate, rather than acquire.

BUT, of course, before Ash Wednesday, there is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras! This little tradition honors the feasts people would have the day before the fast observed on Ash Wednesday for Catholics. They would gorge themselves, i.e. fat, and it was on the day before Wednesday, Fat Tuesday. Since I am not really giving up any food, I binged on clothes.

A neighbor wanted to update her wardrobe anyway, so we had a shopping  day last weekend. Oh, and we hit all the boutiques, at least a lot of them.

Heart and Soul were having a 75% off winter sale that was our first stop. H&S has been a staple around Shreveport for a long time. There are new owners now, so that means a new twist. I thought about half of the stuff was on-point as far as being cute and trendy. H&S used to be the edgy boutique for Shreveport, but now it’s a little more rufflely. I don’t know how to describe the style other than southern soccer mom. It’s not really shabby, it’s like prissy, but in casual fabrics, but they still try to be trendy… think Orange County housewives, like on Bravo. Half of the store is fun/edgy and the other half is OC. The staff is super nice though. (I got a black sequin cardigan, LOVE!)

Francesca’s was next on the list, at Shoppes at Bellemead. The girls actually said hello to us! This was the first time anyone ever said hi to me, and was remotely friendly about it! I was blown away. We didn’t really find anything there. Everything was kind of boxy and sheer. They had some cute bags, but overall it was a bust for us. It’s usually pretty hit-and-miss in there, and the staff has either 1. Completely ignored me or 2. Has been rude to me. Overall, they have cute stuff and good brands like Ya!, but I can’t stand being ignored.

Vertigo was next, and that was a bust too! I know I’ve done a Boutique Bubble on them before, and I was disappointed this time. Usually they have super cute stuff, but I barely saw anything I really liked. It is transition time for retail though.

Altar’d State was next, and this is a Christian-based clothing store and gift-shop. I don’t know about all the gifts, but they had Tom’s and a decent sale going on. Usually this place is ridiculously over-priced. I could see a Ya! top at 2-3 other boutiques around town and they would be at least $5-$15 cheaper than Altar’d State. The staff is reasonably friendly, but it doesn’t feel or operate like a boutique. (Got a super soft sweater from there)

Apricot Lane was next door and it smelled in there. I don’t know how to describe the smell, but it’s kind of funny. The store really isn’t my style, but they carry Miss Me Jeans, Vera Bradley and a great shirt brand called Vintage Havana. There were some really cute dresses in there though during the holidays, so I wouldn’t write it off. The girls are usually friendly and it feels more like a boutique.

Spotted Zebra was next on the list on Line Avenue, and they had some cute stuff. They moved the store around from the last time I had been in the Shreveport location, which I liked (there are 3 now stores, Bossier City, Benton and Shreveport). The girls were friendly, and there were more tops like liked than dresses. They always have good Tom’s and they had very cute Chaser shirts. I was getting stared-down at this place though because the girls knew I was from another boutique, I am guessing. My friend’s asked if I felt like I was being watched, and I said we were J

Ultimate Appearances, or Isabelle’s was our last stop in Town Oaks Square. There were so many cute and unique pieces there. This was also featured in a Boutique Bubble. I absolutely loved it there. It’s a little gaudy, and a little loud, and I love that. It’s not for everyone, but there vintage jewelry is super cute. I got a really cute polka-dot sweater off their winter sale rack. The lady who owns it is always friendly and fun to talk with.

I couldn’t help myself, I had to buy again on Fat Tuesday. I hit up Zoe’s at their new location on Youree in the Southfield Shopping center. This is a world away from the Boardwalk, and frankly, thank God! It looks like a baby Anthropologie. Some of the clothes aren’t me, but I found a ton of stuff there. I wanted pieces that could carry me over from now into Spring, so I could make it until Easter. I had more of an objective here, I wasn’t hitting up the sales. The girls are very friendly and helped me eliminate what I really needed, and so did my husband… major props to him! I got pants, 3 tops and dress. But all of this stuff can work in the season transition. (Good color jeans, brands: Karlie(my white lace shirt) Vintage Havana and Chaser.) Plus it smelled really good. I know that sounds stupid, but that’s really important to me.

 

It felt good to power-shop. I loved it. It’s going to be a challenge not adding anything new to my wardrobe, but hopefully I can come up with new ways to wear what I have. I did sneak in 2 more purchases from Urban Outfitters at like 11:pm on Fat Tuesday. I think it’s safe to say I have a problem. I’ll keep you posted.

War makes rattling good history; but Peace is poor reading.

-THOMAS HARDY

 It’s been a while since I talked about this, but I still keep getting treatments. I have been battling the hair on my under-arms, legs, and lip for about 5-weeks, all of the areas are at different phases.

I started with my under-arms, so they should be completely void of hair! Here is a picture of each underarm, I took them today. And as you can see, still just a tiny bit of hair is left

on my right under-arm. IF you are thinking about getting this treatment done on any area, keep an eye out for your settings. This is something I didn’t start really paying attention to until about the fourth treatment of my underarms. A different nurse did my treatment and she bumped-up the settings by 5 levels, and it did a WORLD of difference, especially on my lip.

Originally, all my settings were in the 20’s, whatever that means, but now they’re in the 30’s and I want her to bump them up again when I go this month. I am going to have to pay for a touch-up this time on my underarms, but it’s only $25, and I think that’ll be it for those guys.

This month will also mark my last treatment on my legs, and I am getting mixed results with those. I’m only getting my lower-leg done, and a lot of hair has disappeared. But I have these neat little circus-tent-style stripes of hair randomly throughout my shins. It’s pretty cute, in that not-at-all kind of way.

See, these are far from cute, the veiny/pale background the hair is set to, does not help the situation either, more on that in a minute.

 IF you are interested in getting your legs done, may I offer a suggestion? Buy the numbing cream and ICE ICE ICE! The legs hurt WORSE than the underarms, and it is hard to tolerate right around the ankle area. You also have to stay VERY pale during treatment, this offers maximum benefits. The laser is attracted to the darkness of the hair, so the darker the hair and the paler the skin, the more concentrated the laser will be to the hair follicle-- killing that nasty little guy.

Here is the long promised video of one of my treatment sessions. This is the third treatment of my under-arms. I think it helps to know what you’re getting into, if this is something you’re considering doing.

I laugh when I am hurting, so that’s why I’m smiling. As you can tell, it doesn’t tickle.

As if I didn’t LOVE getting zapped with a laser enough, there is a Groupon is Shreveport for laser treatments for spider veins! Oh, hallelujah! I am so veiny it is embarrassing. It runs in my family, thanks Mom. Plus, I have been working retail since I was 17 on and off, and I run. Spider veins have been plaguing me for years. I am taking a vitamin that is supposed to help with them, but I am impatient and cruise bound in 3 months. I want to look good. I know I haven’t had kids yet, and I will get them again, but I want it! 

I don’t want to bathe in bronzer all summer to try and mask my veins, and I don’t want to put concealer on to try and hide them, oh no, I’m not above make-up on my legs at this point. I am young, and I am sick of hiding my legs. I happen to like them. They are long and I am working on the jiggle, but I like them just the same. SO I am going to forgo another $100 to Groupon to get my veins done. I’ll let you know about this laser versus the other one, and how the results fare. Expect more from the Great War, cuz it aint over, til I say it’s over. Even though I sound super vain, no pun intended.

 

 

The setting will be Dallas, at a dirt track. There will be a 10-mile obstacle course designed by a guy on the British Special Forces. There will be mud, lots and lots of mud. Then there will be me, a 5’5” woman with about as much upper body strength as an infant and can barely run 3 miles. I realized early on that the odds are very much NOT in my favor, so I have had to do some planning.

The first thing that popped into my mind about this event was: What am I going to wear? Immediately thinking, how am I going to train for this? being much too obvious of a thought, I figured I would save it for later. So I did, and I began to research what other people have worn to do the Mudder, let’s call it TM for time-sake. I knew that shoes would be the first problem, it would also be the most difficult to resolve.

I needed a shoe that would not only protect my feet, but actually stay on. There is part of the course called the “mud mile.” And it is exactly as it is described, a mile of mud, gross soupy knee deep mud. Anyone who has lost their shoe in mud would know why I am so concerned. I need a shoe that will hold on to my foot well-enough not to get sucked off. Plus, I would be swimming, so water-proof is essential, and something that I can train in and not have to throw away at the end of the race. Any normal shoe would be useless after such a race.

So, I decided the Vibram 5-Finger shoes were the way to go. They are very ugly. This is probably the only time in my life that I am actually going to put comfort over attractiveness in my list of priorities of an outfit. The point of the 5-fingers is to promote better and more natural use of your entire foot. To work all the muscles to improve overall balance, stability and strength in your foot. None of this crap mattered to me; I knew that it’s harder to get gloves off than mittens, so these shoes will be harder to get off than regular shoes. They’re waterproof and have great traction. These were my shoes.

When I got fitted for these shoes, the guy told me that I wanted like half a cm between my toes and the end of the shoe. I tried them on and they looked obviously too big. I asked him for the bigger size, and he was pretty reluctant to get it. He said that I would want them bigger because my feet were going to swell and would expand into the extra space. He said it would be more comfortable in the long run. I smelled BS and told him to get the size down. So he did and those were the ones I got. And the truly crappy thing about the whole experience was that they only had the ugliest ones in my size. They’re solid black and make me look like I have gorilla feet.

 

I kicked around in the Vibrams for a few hours every day for about a week. The guy at the shoe store told me to go to the Vibram website and that I needed to read their information because I would have to re-teach myself to run. So I did, like a good little nerd that I am, and they said to start out with about a half mile per-workout and gradually build up. Some runners take years to adjust to these shoes. I don’t have years, I have til March 31^st. I felt fine walking around in them, so I decided to go for a quick run in them! It was just a mile and a half. I ran it with my dog Sampson.

We did great! He was happy, I was happy, my feet were happy, we were all happy!

A week went by and my neighbor offered to come running with me. GREAT! We can run and I can try it out in my Vibrams. We did our first 2-mile loop, no problem! I figure, why not do the whole run in them? SO I did! I felt great! Except I got a blister in my arch and toe of my left foot.

The next day however, not so great. I could not walk normal to save my life. I was waddling around like a duck for about 2 days. It wasn’t that my calves hurt, which they warned about on their website, it was my Achilles, which was another area they warned about. It’s like they decided to stop moving. They were just little boards stuck in my calves that wouldn’t allow my feet to flex. I looked like an idiot.

I went to Target the evening after my run, I got so many sympathetic stares. Eyes wondering what happened to me, thinking how brave I was to push through my handicap and come out into public with my head held high. I left a book at the check-out counter and when I went to go back to get it, a teenaged girl picked it up and ran over to hand it to me. She smiled, and humbly looked down at my feet then returned to the line as I waddled out of the store. It probably didn’t help that I had no make-up on and my hair air-dried… so it was pretty out of control.

Even the next day at work I hobbled everywhere. I mentioned that I was sore from running in my weird shoes so I was walking funny. She replied, ‘We were just talking about that in the dressing room! We thought you must have twisted your ankle or something.’ Great. Was that supposed to comfort me? Make me feel better by knowing that two strangers were carrying on a conversation speculating what happened to me to make we walk in such a distractingly awkward manner? Yes, yes that is exactly what I want to know to make me feel better about myself.

It took about three days, and 2 days of yoga, to get back to normal, and on the 5^th day, today, I decided to try just a short jog. About 30 yards in at my warm-up pace, I felt a strange and prominent pain. Both of my Achilles felt like they were going to snap and roll-up my calf muscles on the back up my leg. They felt like they were going to pop. So I had to stop and go back home. I haven’t been sore, and the pain went away after my shower. But, I don’t know how I’m going to work into these shoes by March. I guess I have to keep trying, and until then, I just keep using my other shoes. I’ll keep you posted, and if you have any suggestions, please let me know on Facebook or email me at Emily@frockinpublic.com.

Hello 2012!

I know we’ve been in this year for a month now, but better late than never right? How about we just jump on in with the craziness early?

Lots have gone on this January in casa de Emily. Here are the things that you will be hearing about:

Tough Mudder: My husband called me around New Years’ and told me Ryan (his friend) wanted to do Tough Mudder! (FYI: my husband works off-shore, so he is gone half the year and Ryan works with him). I was ecstatic! I have wanted to do this course for about 6-months. It’s a 10-12 mile long obstacle-course that is designed by a British Marine. It is designed to be hard, indicated by the ‘Tough,’ and it’s primarily in mucky conditions, ergo Mudder. It’s got a ‘mud-mile,’ a 15ft  jump into water, a fire run, rope bridges to climb AND ‘shock therapy’ which is a 10ft deep section of hanging Taser-like wires that shock as people run through it, just to name a few. There are 22 obstacles, I think, total. All proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Fund. For more information, check-out toughmudder.com.

I couldn't’t believe that my husband actually wanted to do this! He’s not much for… doing. I mean, he is lazy, but not out-of-shape-lazy. He works out and was a collegiate athlete and all, but he would choose to play xbox over playing a sport. He’s very type-B, and I am the type-A. So, a challenge like this was something so exciting and new for us to do together, that I immediately agreed! But then he said the event was March 31^st of 2012. As in, 3 months from now? As in, I would need to be able to run 10 miles by March 31^st and be able to throw myself up on things and drag my butt through the mud? Oh now this is a game changer.

I asked why March, that maybe we should train for one later in the year. But he said no, since his and Ryan’s schedule can change so much over the year, it would be hard to nail down a date that far out. All of us would be on the same team though, which is great! But we couldn't’t train together. Why you ask? Because Ryan and his wife live in Oklahoma. That means that I would only have a training partner for half of 3-months. So, guess who will be reporting to the blog to try to keep motivated?? THIS ONE! THIS CHICK RIGHT BACK HERE!

I am going to start a Mudder Chronicle. I will report about once a week what I am doing to train, what I am wearing, and how the team is doing. Every day on facebook, I will give a brief rundown of my daily woes. So maybe if you resolved to do a marathon this year, or a 5k, maybe we could share in training pains!

Cruise:  My husband and I are also going on a cruise in May with the lovely couple we are doing the Mudder with! I have never been on a cruise, and the idea of being confined to a moving building freaks me out. So, I will be talking about prepping and scheduling all the stuff I’m going to do on the cruise and more importantly, what I am going to pack!! It should be fun, especially since I have never actually met Shelly, Ryan’s wife. But they must be cool if they invited us to all this! So, I will be documenting the prep of the cruise and dictate my crazy claustrophobic rants probably once every two weeks. It’ll be great to predict the Spring and Summer trends and what to look for in the seasons to come, style-wise.

My Car: I got a new car! Not new-new, but new to me! And it’s everything I ever wanted! Buying the car got a lot of interesting conversations started among my girlfriends, and I decided I need to make a girls-guide to car shopping and purchasing. I’ve done it, sort of, once before, but with my husband, this was a whole new ballgame. It’s a different dynamic and new challenges arose, since I’m older and looking for different things than I was when I was 22. Expect some car-talk to happen this winter too.

LASER HAIR REMOVAL!! I still have a video ready to be posted, and I need to let you know about my results!! They aren’t exactly what I expected. I have learned a lot, and hope it helps you out, if it’s something you are looking into doing.

Homestead: I am sick of the way my house looks, and I want it to become for fabulous, without spending a ton of money. There will be new installments from the Homestead, since style is more than just clothes, get ready. I’m ready! Ready to move my furniture, paint and find something cool and different to put on my walls! Hope you have suggestions as well.

That’s what you can look for over the next few months from Frock In Public. It is beyond a style blog, so let’s plunge head-first into the beyond!

-Emily

Hoodie Time!

This is my final installment of my Fa-La-La-La-La Last Minute Gifts because Christmas is starting to gear up for me too! But this gift is a great idea for someone who has a shirt that either doesn't fit anymore or one you know is getting too old, but your gift recipient still wants to wear it.

Supplies:
Hoodie
T-shirt
Needle and Thread or Seam Tape



1. Cut off the Graphics you want to use on the Hoodie. I cut out the front screen and the GM label to put on the front of the sweatshirt. The great thing about this project is, that it's really not hard to make this look good. Since stores like Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch made sweatshirt with distressed graphics "cool" or acceptable to wear, this project looks like something you might actually buy. I cut my graphic kind of uneven to give it that raw effect.


2. Attach Graphic. There are two routes for this: seam-tape or stitching. I hand stitched mine, since my mom hasn't taught me how to use the sewing machine she gave me. But if you have a working sewing machine, then this will take like 5 minutes to stitch! By hand, this will take about 1-2 hours. I did a crossover pattern.
OR you can use seam-tape, check out the 3rd HTT to check out seam-tape.




3. Enjoy the Hoodie! Just attach the graphics to your liking, and it really depends on your graphic. If you can get creative and reconfigure pieces in other places, go for it. It would be cool to blend two graphics into one hoodie. But this is what I came up with, it's pretty straight-forward. But I did this hoodie because my husband bought this shirt twice, and neither of the sizes he got fit. I made him this sweatshirt so he can finally wear it.



I hope this gives you an idea on how to make a thought-filled gift, that someone you care about will enjoy. I hope you have a happy holiday season! And if you try this project, send it to me at emily@frockinpublic.com or post it on facebook and tag Frock In Public. Merry Christmas!

CUSTOM CONTROLLER!!

XboX controllers sound like they are super easy to get! I mean, you can find anything on Amazon right? Well, I wanted to get my husband and really cool XboX controller and I hit a wall. If you are in the market for a pro-football team themed XboX controller, then no worries, there are PLENTY online. All the “custom” controllers I found have to do with modifying the controller themselves. All it does is adjust the game-play, it’s really nerdy, but they’re game specific.

SO! If you just want to give someone a snazzy controller, I have the solution for you! Why not just get some spray-paint that you can spray on plastic and be done with it?? Well, if you are familiar with man-hands, you will know during excessive game-play, the hands get very sweaty. Ergo, the spray-paint rubs off. What can one do to make sure the paint wont rub-off after minutes of tedious painting? The solution: Duracoat.

What is Duracoat? It is firearm paint. If there is anything that will take a serious beating and smudge off due to eight hours of straight game play, it’s this stuff. You can order this stuff online. Once you order the kit, we can begin this awesomely dorkalicious project.

Supplies:

Duracoat Kit

Sticker/ painter’s tape

A working XboX controller

A box

1.Take Apart an XboX Controller. My husband is the supple hand-model in the pictures. Something to not about these controllers, they have Torx screws. The top of them look like stars, not X’s… so you will have to have a special screw-driver for it. They are sold at Sears, Home Depot or Wal-Mart, places like that. They usually come in a kit with like 6 different sizes. So, if you don’t know anyone who has this kit, you might want to get one for this project, otherwise you wont be able to take this guy apart, which would make painting almost impossible.

Here is a simple pictorial on how to take the controller apart, make sure that you keep track of all of your screws.

2.       2. Make your design. I happened to make one in honor of my alma Modder, Appalachian State University (ASU). Make sure that the surface of the controller is clean, like wipe it down with a disinfecting wipe and make sure it doesn’t have any dust on it.

 

You can use stickers or painters’ tape and make your own design. Make sure to really press them on really hard so the paint doesn’t run.

3.       3. Get to PAINTING! Directions are super easy and on the box. But remember, don’t paint when it’s raining, cold (like 60 or below), and don’t paint in-doors! This stuff is really strong! You want to be outside. Remember to do thin coats and wait 5 minutes between coats.

(I will have a video here tomorrow! The site isn't working for me)

4.       4. Let it DRY! After you’re done with your last coat, lt it dry for about 30 minutes and gently peel off the tape from your design.

Then, let it dry for 24 hours. After that, you can put it together, but you want to let the paint cure for at least a week before really using it. IF you don’t let it cure, it will smell funny and it will lose it’s smoothness.

 

If you wanted gamer cured, this is the DIY present for you!

Email me your comments at Emily@frockinpublic.com